The dimerization of C.sub.3 and C.sub.4 olefin is well known and practiced commercially, e.g., with phosphoric acid on kieselguhr or with nickel oxide on silica-alumina. While these catalysts are adequate, they have substantial drawbacks. Thus, the former is difficult to prepare and activate and can form a difficult to remove cement-like deposit in the reactor. The latter makes C.sub.8 paraffins, which in a chemicals environment have virtually no value. Consequently, a desire exists for an easily prepared and activated catalyst that exhibits a low selectivity to paraffins at high conversion rates.
Strong acid catalysts such as bulk sulfated materials, NiO/TiO.sub.2 /SO.sub.4, have been reported as active ethylene polymerization catalysts, Sohn, J. R., Kim, H. W., and Kim, J. T., J. Mol. Catalysis, 41, 375 (1987), and Sohn, J. R. and Kim, H. J., J. Catal., 101, 428 (1986). Nevertheless, the art recognizes that polyethylene catalysts are not necessarily useful as catalysts for polymerizing or dimerizing higher olefins.